Car-dumping apparatus



Dec, 14, 1948.

G. w. MERRITT CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 30, 1944 4 snee'ts-sheet '1 Dec.'14, 1948. G w. MERRHT `2,456,'2o9

' CAR DUMPING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 50, 1944 4 Sheets-Shet .2

INVENToR Dec. 14, 1948. G. w. MERR'TT I 2,456,2o9

CAR DUMPING APPRATUS Filed Sept. 50, 1944 4 sheets-shet 4 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 14, 1948 'CAR-DU-MPING L'BBARATUS Glenn W. Merritt, ,Bowers`ton, Oliio, .assignor ,to

.The Mining Safety Device Company,"owerston', Ohio, a corporation of "Ohio Application September 30, 1944, lS'e).'ial,l\lo.556;628

17 Clams. (Cl.` 214-47) 'This invention relates'to car `dumping apparatus. It ;has todo .withaapparatusf-for dumping r'mine or rail'road cars and ;is .fparticularly appli- .cabletodumpszof the kick-back 'type Wherein v.ailoaded car;is:^received..up.on.a platform whichis moved to tilted position to incline'the carand diseharge the contents through one end thereof. Some :of 'the fprinciples V.of fthis :invention areV also applicable to straight through type dumps.

'The objectsxofthexinvention are to provide for .zpositivefiand .'reliable :control over `the tilting of 'the :dump platform; to automatically release the .'.ear ;from 'the platformisubsequentto .the dumping 'operation and 'to .provide .a simple, 'effective 'and vrugged fapparatus of vtheclass described requiring fa minimum ofmanual interventionin'the operationl .thereo .Apparatus constructed inaccordance With this invention, hroadlyA comprises acar-receiving'plat- :form 'mounted'for pivotal movement-.about plural :axes together VWithmeans:operalole to tilt the. plat- .Jform on ;one Vaxis 'and :then another :to empty the car ;of :its .contents 'and'then .'discharge the 'car from the dump respectively.

:Other 'objects hand sadvantageous ;features will .be-noted initheaccompanying dra-wings and writ- --ten:desoription, 'wherein like' reference ;characters ;designate 'corresponding parts :and wherein:

:Figurel is a'planrviewof thepreferred form of 'dumpi'ng:apparatusI FF'igure 2is an 'end elevation taken from :the left fof'Figure v1.

. i Figure .3 is. a:side.elevation :of thef'apparatus 'of :';Figure 1.

'Figura :is 'a 'side lelevation showing the 'ap- :paratus:infcar'dumping:position -w'Figure :5 is 'a fside elevation 'showing the ap- 'paratus inipositionjust prior to releasing the car lfrom the platform.

VFigure =6 'is a side elevation: illustrating howthe fapparatus 'zwould be modified to :operate ;as a "fstraightzthrough" type dump.

.Figure 7 is 'a diagrammatic'view' showingfa kick- .backtypedump ;Figure 7.8 ``is a :diagrammatic'viewfin Aplanzof ;a :straight'throughztype dump.

Figura-9.'is=a'diagram.of the horn 'release mech- .zanism :used :in :conjunction :with la .straight athroughatype'dump.

.In1Fig. y'7,'1 is:the.za-pproach trackdeading tothe idumping :apparatus 22. After `the 'contents .of :a .:car .3 ;have :been discharged, :the caris removed ;in Y the :opposite ;direction from 'which it entered the :dump and is -switchedto areceiving ;track 3a.

V:Dumping' :apparatus -2, v1-.`E*ig'.ures :1. to '5 inclusive,

Shaft 'l rextending Vlateraliy of the frame and journaled in oppositely disposed bearings 8 and l-9.mounted on zlongitudinals 5 .supports a tiltable platform i 1,0 when .saidplatform is in level horizontal position. Said platform has rails ll on ;theupper'surface thereof adapted to align with frails in order that the car -3'may 'roll onto the vplatform where its momentum is ohecked lIoy horns '|2 on opposite -sides of the track. Said horns are of conventional constructionand inr clude the customary slide rod 13 andshock-absorbent spring l'4.

As a car .moves `onto the platform, Fig. 1, the Wheels '{depress pivoted, tracksid, fan shaped,

lstopimembers"[5counterweighted as at |6, Fig. 3

.to 'return |them tofelevfated position 'behind the rear-setfi'car Wheels. These stop members are for the purposefof lch'ecking the rebound andpreventingwthe car from rolling off backwards after the lead Wheels strike 'thehorns They are also voperableto,prevent the carfrom rolling off back- Ward vas the .platform is tilted up to a position from .which the car fmay 'be released and rolled .off the dump .under its own .power as will be later .descri'bed Platform ,tO' isjpreferably supported on a ceny'trally disposed cross shaft 1 by a pair of oppositely disposed, elongated, open 'bottom bearings .-|1. ,The `elongfated parts of these bearings are formedron a .radius and the center of Acurvature Hthereofis the axis of lateral support bar |-8 --fi-Xed atthe front end of the platform. Thusthe v;platform-is .balancedcso as ;to facilitateA car dumping,however.it Willzbe understood that the pivot vmay vbe located in an off center position if de- :sired -Oneach sideof the frame'and'beyond the plat- `'form proper .are ver-tically-disposed hoist chain '-supporting 'members IB connected across the top 'centeri'by :bracerod 19a. These members comprise pairs .of substantially semi-circular plates bolted 'or 'otherwise .firmly secured to the lower vframe longitudinals and formed with a chain guideway |9b around the perimeter :to lreceive 'hoist ohains 2|. Each guideway |9b is extended .at the'rear'end by 'Curved Channels '20 in order to :guide 'Chains 2| onto alower set of sprockets 22, -Fig; 3,:mounted on -shaft :23 journaled ininverted :beari'ng '24 attached to lowerframe longitudinals 25. Each chain has a pair of upwardly turned alazot 3 hooks 26 and 21 attached thereto, one in front and the other in rear respectively. The front hooks 26 are for the purpose of engaging stub shafts 41 projecting laterally from the front end of the platform and tilting it on the axis of shaft 1, Fig. 1, to car dumping position and the rear set of hooks 21 are for the purpose of engaging a similar set of stub shafts 28 at the rear end of the platform and tilting the platform on the axis of hoist bar |8 to car discharging position. This raises the closed end of bearings |1 off shaft 1 but the curved extensions of the bearings prevent lateral displacement and also prevent disassociation with the shaft 1. The center of curvature of that portion of guideways |9b on which hooks 21 travels is concentric with the axis of shaft |8 when resting in bearings 38. That of hooks 26, shaft 1.V

Each chain 2| is driven 'by a sprocket 29 mounted on a sprocket shaft 30 journaled in .bearings 3| attached to lower frame members 32. Said sprocket shaft is driven by a motor 33, Figs. 1 and 2, and the motor speed is Controlled by a multiple cam limit switch 33a which governs the amount of travel of the chains in either direction and the speed of travel thereof and changes in the speed ,of angular travel of the platform during the cycle. It is preferred to initiate the operation of the dump manually and for this purpose a manual starting switch or lever '34 may' be provided.

Platform IO is locked in level loading position by a pair of hooks 35 fixed on lateral shaft 36 mounted in bearings 31 at opposite sides of the frame. These hooks clamp over the bar |8 when the dump is in level position and prevent the dump platform from tilting forward as thel car runs thereonto. The hoist bar is received in voppositely disposed open top bearings or rests 38 rigidly attached to the front end of the lower frame in position to support the platform against backward tiltin-g on shaft 1 but acting as a bear- 'ing to enable the platform to be tilted upward on shaft |8 to roll the car off the platform.

In order to release the hooks 35, shaft 36 has adepending lever 39 rigidly secured thereto which isconnected by a link 40 to a lever 4| that is ,pivoted at the center on an adjustable support 42 and has a roller 43 mo-unted on the freeend. In order to move lever 4| to hook releasing position, a plurality of segments 44 are attached to 'one of the chains in a normally horizontal stretch of the chain below the upper frame and between sprocket shafts 45 and 46. These segments strike the roller 4'3 and push the lever 4| back, as the segments 'travel over the sprocket, the lead segment striking the lever so as to release the hooks 35 just prior to engagement of the hoisting hooks 26 with stub shafts 41. When the chains are moved in a reverse direction, the counterweig-ht 48 returns lever 4| to normal position as soon as the segments have cleared rollers 43 and the hooks 35 arethereafter clamped on cross bar |8. To release the car 3 from the platform, each 'fan shaped stop member |5 is caused to move to wheel releasing position as the platform is tilted on axis |8 by engagement of a projecting lever 48, formed integral therewith, with shaft 1. The car rolls off the inclined platform and is switched onto receivin-g track 3a.

The end gate 49 of car 3 may be o'pened in any suitable manner as the platform ||l is tilted. It is custornary to do this by means of a stationary rail which runs parallel to the rails and engages a projection on the gate to lift the same as the car is tilted. i

To adapt the present structure to what is known as a straight through type dump wherein the car 3 is rolled off the dump platform at the opposite end from which it entered onto a receiving trackl Et, see Figure 8, substantially the same structure' is employed except the hooks 21 are omitted, see Figure 6, and instead of raising the platform on axis |8 to discharge the car, the approach track 5|, dump and receiving track 50 are inclined to the horizontal in order that loaded cars may roll onto and empty cars may roll off of the dump by gravity. Any conventional means for holding back filled cars on the approach track whilst a car is being emptied by the dump may be employed to be actuated automatically or manually. To release an empty car from the platform |0, the horns |2 are spread by a manually operated lever 52 mounted on the dump platform IO at one side of the rails l, see Figure 9. This lever operates both horns simultaneously by means of a pull rod 53 which is connected to a shaft'54 on which a disc 55 is mounted. Pull rods 56 con'- nected to the disc at diametrically opposed points turn the rods |3 on which the horns are mounted, in their' bearings. It will be understood that this operation may, if de'sired, be perf'ormed automatically.

Having thus described my invention what I claim is:

1. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a hoist chain on opposite sides of said support, a hook attached to each chain, trunnions' projecting from opposite sides of the support to be engaged by said hooks to tilt said support, a bar attached to said support at one end thereof, rests for receiving said bar when the support is in car-receiving position, looking means for holding the support against tilting, lock releasing means attached to one of said hoist chains arranged to effect the release of the looking means prior to engagement of the hooks with the trunnions and means for moving said chains.

2. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, xed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, semicircular hoist chain supporting members arranged on opposite sides of said support having chain guideways around the perimeter thereof, a hoist chain disposed in each guideway, an upwardly facing hook attached to each chain, a trunnion iprojecting from each side of the support to be engaged by hook to tilt the support, lockin'g meansoperable to hold the support lin car lre'- ceiving position, lock releasing means including an actuator` attached to one of said chains arranged to effect theV release of the looking means prior to engagement of the hooks with the trunnions and means for moving said chains to cause the support to be tilted and for reversing the movement thereof to return the support to car receiving position and reset the looking means.

3. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame,

' a tiltable platform thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a hoist chain supporting member on opposite sides of said platform, 'formed with a chain guideway, an endless hoist chain in each guideway, sprockets below the platform for receiving the chain, a motor for driving said chains, a hook attached to each chain, a trunnion projecting from each side of the platform in position to be engaged by said hooks to tilt said platform, a bar across one end of said platform, looking means vfor imiding down 'said barw jprevent umng'rof the ;platformwhen'in car receiving position, 'a fever "connectedt'o said'iocking means'anda plurality a tiltable support thereon, fixed 'tracks carried thereby for receiving a 'ca-rto'be dumped, a rel'easab'le 'lock for holding said platform in car receiving position, va vpair' of Nendless flexibl'e memb'ersV supported by the frame, one 'on one 'side ;of the support an'd the Hother on the 'opposite side, 'means attached to'on'e of said chains 'for 'actuating said looking means, means attached to both of sa'id'chains for `'e'ngaging and tilting the support and means for moving said chains.

5. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a i'horiontal-ly tiltabie :support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a fear' to be dumped, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position, a pair of endless fleXible members supported by the ffrarhe, one on one .side of thesupport Aand .the other on the other side .of the support, means operable to actuate the detent attached to one of the fiexible members and a support lifting member attached to each fiexible member.

6. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position, a pair of endless fiexible members supported by the frame, one on each side of the support, means operable to actuate the detent attached to one of the fiexible members, support lifting members attached to each exible member fore and aft of the platform operable upon movement of the flexible members to tilt the support on one axis and then another axis to empty the contents of a car and discharge the car from the platform respectively and means for moving said fiexible members in unison.

7. Car dumping'apparatus comprising a frame,

I a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position, a pair of endless flexible members supported by the frame, one on each side of the support, means operable to actuate the detent attached to one of the fiexible members, support lifting members attached to each fiexible member fore and aft of the platform operable upon movement of the fiexible members to tilt the support on one axis and then another axis to empty the contents of a car and discharge the car from the platform respectively, and. means for moving said flexible members in unison and means attached to one of said fiexible members for actuating said detent.

8. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame,

. a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position, a pair of endless fleXible members supported by the frame, one on each side of the support, means operable to actuate the detent attached to one of the fiexible members, support lifting members attached to each flexible member fore and aft of the platform operable upon movement of the fiexible members to tilt the support on one axis and then another axis to empty the contents of a car and discharge the car from the platform respectively, means for "6 moving 'said 'iiexib-ie :members -in' unison, means attaohedto one 'of said'flex'ible members `for Vac- 'tuating said'detent, a car stop and means 'for releasing the same from car stopping'pos'ition When the support is't-'ilted about-one vof said axes.

9. Car dumping apparatus 'comprising a frame, a tiltable vsupport thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position, a'pair 'of endless fiexible members supported by 'the frame, Vone on each side of the support, means `operable to "aotuate Vthe detent attached to one of the flexib'le members, support lifting members attached to 'each fiexible member'fore and aft 'of "the platform `operable upon movement of the flexible members to tilt the support 'on one 'axis 'ahd'then 'another axis 'to empty the 'contents of a lcar and discharge the 'carffrom the'platform respectively, means for moving said flexible members in unison comprising a motor and a' drive shaft driventhereby, a cam actuated limit switch for 'controlling the speed of moveme'nt of said 'fiexible members and releasible car stop operated upon tilting of the support to move the same to inoperative position.

10. Car dumping apparatus comprising av frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks 'carried thereby for lreceiving a car to be dumped, hoist chain supporting members alongside said support formed With chain receiving guideways, an endless hoist chain in each of said guideways, trunnions attached to said platform fore and aft, hooks attached to said chains engageable With said trunnions to tilt the support about a center axis and an end axis respectively to empty the contents of a car and discharge the car from the support respectively, a detent for holding the platform in car receiving position and means attached to one of said chains for actuating said detent.

ll. Car dumping apapratus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped and a chain hoist formed and positioned for tilting said support on an axis intermediate the ends thereof to empty the contents of a car and on an axis at one of the ends thereof to discharge the car therefrom.

12. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a horizontally disposed support, fixed tracks thereon for receiving a car to be dumped, and a power driven, reversible chain hoist having hooks thereon some of which are formed and positioned for tilting the support on an axis intermediate the ends thereof to discharge the contents of a car and others of which are formed and positioned for lifting one end of the support to cause it to tilt upwardly on an axis at the other end thereof to discharge a car from the sup-port.

13. Car dumpng apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving .a car to be dumped, a reversible chain lift formed and positioned for tilting said support first on one axis and then an-` other to empty the contents of a oar and then discharge the car from the support respectively, a detent for holding the support in car receiving position and means associated with said chain lift for relea'sing the detent.

14. Car dumping apparatus comp-rising a frame, a tiltable supportl thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped, a reversible hoist including a fiexible member for tilting said support first on one axis and then another to empty the contents of a car and then discharge the car from the support respectively, a detent for holding the support in car receiving position, means for releasing the detent to able the platform to be tilted to car emptying position, and means for holding a car on the support including means operable to release a car for movement therefrom by movement of the support to car dischargng position.

15. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a horizontally` disposed support arranged to be tilted on a center axis and upon an axis at one of the ends thereof, fixed rails thereon for receiving 'a car to be emptied, a hoist having elongated fiexible members formed and positioned for tilting the support on the center axis to empty the contents of a car and lift the support at one of its ends to tilt it on the other axis and discharge a car therefrom and releasable means for securing .a car to the platform whilst the car is being emptied. o

16. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped and a plural-chain hoist whose chain elements are formed and postioned for tilting said support first on one axis and then another to empty the contents of a car and then discharge the car from the support respectively, a detent for holding said support in car receiving position and means op'- erable in response to movement of said flexible means for releasing said detent.

17. Car dumping apparatus comprising a frame, a tiltable support thereon, fixed tracks carried thereby for receiving a car to be dumped and hoisting means for tilting said support first on one axis and then another to empty the contents of a car and then disoharge the car from the support respectively, said hoisting means including a fiexible member fore and aft of the support having lifting members attached thereto, one'of the lifting members being arranged to engage and tilt the support on one axis by movement in a path concentr with said axis and the other of the lifting members being arranged to engage and tlt the support on the other axis by movement in a path concentric With the last named axis.

GLENN W. MERRI'IT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 976,168 Greene Nov. 22, 1910 976,170 Greene Nov. 22, 19101 1,859,501 Durbin May 24, 19322 2.384,904 Fletcher Sept. 18, 1945| 

